Regional Director Melissa Hemphill

In my work around nutrition, I do not advocate diets because research shows us that 96% of people who lose weight on a weight loss diet gain it back within a year and 99% gain the weight back within 2 years. The difference between the 99% and the successful 1% is that the 1% isn’t on a life-long diet. There’s no domination of appetite, no punishment, and no self-hate driving the need to change the body. Instead, they consciously choose foods that move them closer towards their health goals and their desired state of being (vibrant, energized, strong, etc) and they choose from a place of worthiness.
With all that said, the one “diet” I do recommend is an elimination diet because, as a tool, it such a wealth of personalized data! After 2-6 weeks of eliminating the most common inflammatory foods/ drinks and methodical reintroduction, you can get very clear on what foods are effective in bringing you closer to your goals and what foods are simply ineffective. Whole 30 outlines the most … [Read more...]

On Tuesday night, I completed the Landmark Forum in Atlanta. It was by far the most transformational course I’ve ever taken in my life and I wanted to share the new possibilities that opened up for me.
Upon registering for the Forum, participants are asked to consider an important area of their life they would like to focus on. My first reaction was “how do I choose just one!?” I was reassured that the focus area would be more of a doorway into the concepts/ assignments and that the overall experience of the course would likely affect many other important areas too. With that, I chose the grief and suffering from this intense year of loss. To be perfectly honest, I wanted to break free from the prison cell of grief for both my family and myself in the wake of Mark’s suicide.
About halfway through the first day and in a very public share-turned-coaching session, I suddenly realized I didn’t actually want that freedom because my story around such freedom would mean that I abandoned … [Read more...]

I almost didn’t post it. Technically, it was a series of underwear photos—Grandma would kill me for sure! But, in a moment of pure awe and wonder of the human body, I shared it anyway.
The intent behind sharing that picture was to celebrate the Divine design of the feminine body. Looking down at my baby girl, I was still gushing with love and appreciation. That picture also opened the door to my work with the BIRTHFIT team which has been nothing short of amazing. That picture was all good… or so I thought.
Shortly after I shared that picture, a few friends mentioned that it made them feel like failures. For them, the picture seemed to say, “this is what a BIRTHFIT pregnancy should look like.” It opened the door to comparison and siphoned off their power. This response couldn’t have been more opposite from my intention; I wanted to spread empowerment, not judgment.
Fast-forward to today and I’m feeling the same judgment from the picture, too. I’m comparing this pregnancy with … [Read more...]

“If only I had enough willpower, I could control my appetite.”
If you’re like me (and most humans on planet Earth), you believe that appetite and over eating are willpower problems. Over time, this has become accepted as fact. Strengthening the “willpower muscle” seems to be the only way to control appetite, stop over eating, and finally achieve the body and fitness goals you’ve always wanted.
Despite this being my third healthy pregnancy, appetite and I still have regular mêlées: “I can’t be hungry again! Are you kidding me? I’m going to get huge if I actually listen to my appetite!” I totally get where you are. And I have some amazing news to share... courtesy of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating:
Appetite is not a willpower problem. Believing that appetite is a problem is, in itself, a problem but appetite regulation is so not a willpower problem.
Appetite tells us we’re alive. To live, we must eat. Appetite is here to make sure we keep eating and living. Extend … [Read more...]

To everyone who read my birth story, I’m sorry. Not only did I glaze right over the transition from competition-fitness goals to birth-fitness goals, but I made it sound like this mental/emotional transition was seamless. The truth of the matter is that it wasn’t, isn’t, and will remain an opportunity for thoughtful practice in the future.
At the heart of this issue is the fact that my identity is intertwined with my athletic abilities. Towards the end of the second trimester, I started having an identity crisis—my abs faded, my lifts didn’t feel strong, my bodyweight movements felt heavy, and my overall motivation to get in the gym was inconsistent. WHO WAS THIS GIRL? My sweet, logical husband gave me the I’m-only-going-to-say-this-nicely-once-talk about “my body’s goals are centered around the baby now” and “pregnancy is only temporary” and “a healthy baby is our goal too!” Got it. My frontal lobe is all over that shit. BUT WHY did I keep reverting back to these negative, … [Read more...]

The domains of fitness and nutrition are heavily dominated by masculine energy. By masculine, I mean that we approach the body, it’s appearance, and it’s abilities in a very left-brain, direct, and scientific way. We distill the greater essence of what it means to be alive into bite-size materials and processes. We obsess over numbers: calories, macronutrient profiles, percent body fat, naked mass, run times, weightlifting totals, and cholesterol levels. First, let me say that there is absolutely NOTHING WRONG with masculine energy. It’s completely necessary for life and deserves to be honored. We experience negative, secondary effects (especially with women) when the masculine goes unbalanced by this enigmatic energy we call the feminine. By feminine, I mean right-brain, creative, emotional, unpredictable, pleasurable, and nourishing. When was the last time you heard these words associated with fitness and nutrition!?
Since we all are OF the masculine, feminine, and Divine (the … [Read more...]

I learned of this concept during the opening lessons of the Eating Psychology Coach Certification Training. As someone who was partially exposed to this fresh approach to nourishment and nutrition, one week of this training has already expanded my perspective on so many different levels. The idea of “chaos before creation,” however, touched my soul.
I have used the word “chaos” repeatedly to describe my life in the past few months. Between the still-unbelievable loss of my little brother, the miscarriage, having to find a new place to live, my husband’s absence for his intensely challenging training, a full-time Air Force job, and regular family activities, “chaos” occasionally felt like an understatement.
Many days, the heavy uncertainty associated with chaos felt suffocating. I felt powerless to make life hurt less for myself and for the people around me. These feelings catalyzed the search to regain control elsewhere. For me, “elsewhere” most often means my diet and … [Read more...]

BIRTHFIT Explained
“BIRTHFIT is a dream team that empowers and educates the women of our modern society.”
– Dr. Lindsey Mathews, BIRTHFIT Founder
More specifically, we seek to empower and educate women around the topics of perinatal fitness, nutrition, mindset, and chiropractic care.
There is an incredible amount of polarizing information floating around the interwebs. And with social media, there is also a quick tendency to pass judgment on the decisions women make regarding their pregnancies, deliveries, and postpartum journeys.
The true gift of the BIRTHFIT team and the services we offer is in the one-on-one connection, tailored mentorship, and community support. We recognize that every woman and every pregnancy is unique. The Olympic-hopeful on her first pregnancy and the stay-at-home mom on her fifth pregnancy have very different goals and time allowances. No matter where you are in this journey, the BIRTHFIT team is eager to support you.
Depending on your global … [Read more...]

Just wow. I can’t thank you all enough for the unbelievable outpour of love and support! There were many times I felt swallowed by the loneliness but there was always a helping hand and/or listening ear right there. Thank you for the hugs, the tissues, the shared knowing of this loss, and the prayers.
I love you all.
I wanted to write a follow up post for a number of reasons: to show how seemingly “mastered” thoughts can shape-shift and wreak havoc all over again, to discuss who’s business belongs to whom, and to bring a voice to miscarriage so we can drive away the shame.
Shifty Little Thoughts
After the exercise I shared in the first post, I felt settled. I still hurt terribly, but I wasn’t attacking myself. It didn’t take long, however, for the same, cruel thoughts to shift slightly and return. I had to revisit written inquiry another 3 times to truly breakthrough in a meaningful way. With each exercise, the same conclusion came faster and faster: I cannot change reality but … [Read more...]

Facts
It’s 4am.
My breasts are enlarged and tender.
I’ve bled all night.
I can’t sleep.
I can’t stop crying.
I am miscarrying.
Stories
Losing the baby was my fault.
God only gives us what we can handle. God doesn’t think I can handle a 3rd baby.
I should have been more receptive and excited about this baby in the beginning.
I’m supposed to be an example of BirthFit. If I think I’m a model of health and fitness, I’ve been lying to myself.
Investigating Reality
Can you absolutely know that these stories are true? No…
Is there a peaceful/stress-free reason to keep these thoughts?
I am inclined to manipulate the word peace to mean “feel in control of.” If I hold myself responsible, I feel in control but I definitely do NOT feel peace in my body. So no, there is no peaceful/stress-free reason to hold onto these thoughts.
Who would I be (and how would I live) without these thoughts?
I would be happier and more … [Read more...]